Smile At The Sky
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: Adrien and Marinette get dangerously close to discovering each other's identities while working together on a school project. Meanwhile, a new akuma is attacking Paris and forcing people to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets. Reveal fic. (For those of you who've read The Wyvern, this can act as a direct sequel, otherwise it's a standalone fic.) Literally the entire love square.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 **A/N: Hey guys! Just as the summary says, this fic can act as a direct sequel to The Wyvern OR a standalone if you haven't read that one yet. Although the first scene of this story is a tweaked version of the last scene from The Wyvern. I apologize if it sounds a little wonky for newcomers.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _This can't be real. It has to be a dream._

 _Adrien. Beautiful, sweet, perfect Adrien..is her partner for a school project. Hers for an entire week! He's giving her a ride home in the back of one of his father's lavish cars this very moment, has offered to come to her house to work on their speeches together...!_

 _And yet..._

 _As they lower their fists, having bumped them together in a gesture all too familiar, all Marinette can see is the silver ring on his finger. She's never noticed it before. And his gaze is locked on the earrings adorning her ears._

 _Marinette swallows at the lump in her throat. For the slightest of seconds, their eyes meet. Green and blue._

 _And then they both whip their heads in opposite directions, the rest of the car ride passing in uncomfortable, heavy silence except for the thudding of their hearts in their ears._

* * *

 _Tap...tap...tap...tap..._

Something else about Adrien that Marinette has never noticed is that he drums his fingers when he feels anxious. Which, of course, makes it a hundred times harder not to stare at the ring decorating his slender ring finger. She forces herself to look everywhere but his hand...and his eyes.

She's always known they're green. And that he's blonde. And tall and thin. And...chivalrous, and brave and...his voice...

 _Stop it,_ she scolds herself. _You're just overthinking it! I mean, it's not like you haven't entertained the idea before that he could be... I mean...Alya showed you an edit of Adrien in a black cat suit and you still... It just doesn't add up!_

And that's when she realizes Adrien is talking to her.

"...ot a lot of websites, actually. So, what do you think?" He turns to look at her, wearing his usual, disarming smile. Maybe he's not as nervous as she thought.

"Uhhh..." Crap. She has no idea what he was saying. "Umm...I-Im sorry, Adrien. I wasn't...really...listening. I-I suck." She groans and bows her head in defeat. She's got to get with it. So what if Adrien _is_ Cat Noir?! He's not! But so what if he is! He's still Adrien! And they still have a project to do!

But despite her thoughts clearly being elsewhere, Adrien simply smiles and pats her shoulder. "That's alright. We can take a break if you'd like."

Marinette sighs and sits back in her chair at the computer. They shouldn't waste time, they've only got a few days to put the project together. But...

Her eyes trail down once more to his hand, where the sunlight from the window is glinting brightly off his ring. The part of her mind that tends to fantasize muses that it almost appears to be glowing.

There's no point. She isn't going to be able to focus.

"Maybe that's a good idea," she reluctantly tells him. "Just a short one."

Nodding, Adrien reclines in his chair as well and stretches his arms above his head. "Well at least we have a topic," he offers. "And that's more than we had an hour ago." He sits forward again and turns his revolving chair to face her. There's that ornery glint in his eyes again... She swallows at how familiar it looks, even though she's never seen it on _his_ face. "I don't know about you, but a round of a Ultimate Mecha Strike III always helps _me_ unwind. And I'll have you know I've been practicing, I might actually stand a chance against you now."

Adrien winks at her and Marinette can't help the confident grin that spreads over her face. Leave it to Adrien to find a way to make her feel better. "Is that a challenge?"

He chuckles. "It most definitely is."

* * *

An hour and twenty minutes later, the partners retire from their procrastination with guilty smiles on their faces. Adrien wasn't kidding when he said he'd been practicing. Sure, Marinette still kicked his butt ninety percent of the time. But there _were_ a few rounds that he actually managed to pull off a stunning combo attack and beat her!

By the end of it, Marinette has entirely forgotten about her suspicions and, true to his word, they both feel more relaxed and their minds are clearer. Time to get back to work.

As Adrien closes the game and brings up their blank presentation file (thank _goodness_ she remembered to take down all those photos of him and change her computer wallpaper), Marinette runs downstairs to grab something from the bakery for them to eat while they work.

"How's it going up there?" Her mother asks innocently, although there's a sly gleam in her eyes that Marinette has come to recognize a mile away. It's the "there's a really cute boy nearby and he might be into you" look. Of course Marinette blushes deeply and makes a point not to look at her mom as she grabs a plate and stacks some croissants and cookies on it.

"It's going well," she tells her casually. "Just getting a snack."

"Good, good..." Sabine folds her hands behind her back and walks away, but Marinette hears her giggle and only then does she notice her father peeking his head around the corner at them.

 _Little snoops._ Marinette shakes her head with a grin and pads up the steps, bumping the trapdoor open with her shoulder as she balances the plate in both hands. She gets to the top of the steps...and pauses.

Adrien hasn't noticed her yet. His back is to her, but she can see in the slope of his shoulders that he's bent over. Looking at something in his lap.

"Don't be ridiculous, Plagg," he whispers to seemingly no one. "There's no way she's-"

"Adrien?" Marinette interrupts, certain she doesn't want to hear what he's going to say next. Her heart is thumping again but she plasters on an terrible innocent smile and lets the trapdoor fall shut behind her. "Ready to get back to work?"

He stares at her for a second, stunned. And then he, too, fakes a smile and nods. "Uh, yeah, sure. Sorry, I was uh-I was...on the phone-but I'm done now. Yeah, we can work..."

She sets the tray down between them and sits in her chair. Unable to look him in the eyes, she stares down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs and pretends not to notice that his phone is still clearly tucked into his pocket...

"Ummm..." Marinette lifts her eyes, searching for something to break the awkward silence.

"Uh...so..."

"So...the...the project."

"Yeah. Um...I found some websites that might...help..."

"Great...! Uh," _Come on! Please say something that proves you're not Cat Noir!_

"Um-I never noticed you wore earrings before."

 _Dammit, Adrien!_ "Umm...y-yeah...I never...used to but...yeah...I-I never noticed you wore a ring... _not that it matters_ but...yeahh..."

"Really? I never used to either...I've...had it...for about a year..."

"Haha really? What a...coincidence that...we...both..."

"Yeah..." Adrien looks at the floor to avoid to her gaze. Her eyes that suddenly look so familiar. He doesn't know why his heart is beating so quickly, or why he can't stop tapping his fingers. He's brought it up countless times to Ladybug that he wants to reveal their identities to each other. But he supposes now that the opportunity is right in front him-literally-he's...nervous.

After all, what if he's wrong? What if Marinette _isn't_ Ladybug? If he tells her who he is and she isn't Ladybug then they would both be in danger. It's not that he doesn't trust Marinette to keep his secret. He does! She's his princess, she's helped him many times before as Cat Noir _and_ as Adrien. He knows she's a good person. Trustworthy. He just...he just doesn't know...

But...then again...

What if she is Ladybug?

How much easier would it be to protect Paris if they knew each other's identities? They could cover for each other, they could train together, they wouldn't have to rush away from each other when their transformations were running out...

Plus, if Marinette _is_ Ladybug, that's just one more reason for him to be in love with superhero partner. Marinette is a kind, compassionate, brave, smart girl. She's fun to be around. She's cute...

He blushes. He's never thought of Marinette in that way but...yeah. Okay. Yeah. He's gonna do it. He's gonna tell her.

Adrien looks up and finds that Marinette is still awkwardly sitting with her shoulders slouched, twiddling her thumbs and generally looking like she wants to sink through the floor.

"Marinette," he says as calmly as he can manage. She looks up, eyes wide and waiting. He gulps. "I-"

"AAAAAH!"

Both teens jump in their steats at the ragged scream coming from the street. Marinette sprints to the window and throws it open, craning almost her entire upper body to see what's happening.

Meanwhile, Adrien slowly walks backwards toward the trapdoor. He needs to get outside. He needs to find a place to transform.

Marinette grimaces when she can't see where the scream came from. But if the frenzied squeel of car tires and the handful of panicked Parisians running below says anything...she'd say someone is in need of a hero or two.

Turning on her heel, with a flimsy excuse to get out of the room on her tongue, Marinette blinks when she finds Adrien gone. Where did he...? "Ah!" She gasps as her ceiling shakes a little...as if someone has landed on the roof. She returns to the window to see Cat Noir bounding over the rooftops in the direction of the chaos.

"No time to think," she mutters. "Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

It's an akuma. That much becomes obvious as soon as Ladybug lands on the top of the boutique beside her partner.

A villanous-looking man dressed entirely in black and white hovers in the air above the street, surrounded by terrified citizens frozen in mid-step and glowing red. Every inch of their visible skin is crawling with words. Entire sentences, repeated over and over and over again.

 _"I'm sick and no one knows."_

 _"I cheated last night."_

 _"I hit her."_

Ladybug covers her mouth with her hand. So that's what the akuma does...

"M'Lady, something tells me we need to be extra careful around this one," Cat Noir says, drawing his staff. "Getting hit by this one would be a real _claw_ tastrophe."

Ladybug scowls at him. "Cat Noir, this is serious."

"I know, I know, I just couldn't resist. No need for a _cat_ ittude."

"Stop."

Cat Noir snickers and rises out of his crouch. With a running start, he vaults off the roof and drives a kick into the unsuspecting akuma's chest, throwing him out of the air.

"Now that's what I'm _paw_ lking about!" Ladybug giggles and lassoes her yoyo around the akuma's ankles just as he tries to get up. She pulls tight on the slack and the akuma growls angrilly.

"Ahh, Ladybug and Cat Noir. I was wondering when you'd arrive."

Cat Noir leans his elbow on his staff and smirks. "We like to be fashionably late," he says with a wink. Ladybug lands beside him and rolls to her feet. She gives her yoyo string another tug and the akuma is pulled flat onto his back.

Although, it doesn't look like he's fighting it.

"Where do you think his akuma is hiding?" Cat Noir asks quietly.

"Not sure." Ladybug scans the villain's body. A stark black and white suit, shiny black dress shoes, a top hat, white gloves...nothing that really stands out as a source of power.

"What about that?" Cat Noir points at something pinned to the villain's sleeve. A shiny, glass cuff link that gleams brightly even under the cloudy sky above. Ladybug smiles at him.

"Good eye, Cat Noir. That's gotta be it."

With a twirl of his staff, Cat plants the weapon into the ground between the villain's body and his outstretched arm. Swooping in close, he reaches for the akuma. However, just as he's about to grab it, there's a low, growling rumble in the earth and their opponent's gloves begin to glow red.

"Cat Noir! Get out of there!" Ladybug shouts, but it seems he's already ahead of her. Her partner instantly flips backwards, narrowly avoiding contact with the akuma's gloved hand. Marinette gasps as her yoyo is pulled hard and she stumbles, the wire going slack for just a moment.

And that's all it takes for him to shoot high into the air, cackling darkly.

"I am _Candor_! A seeker of truth!" A white finger is jabbed at the duo. Candor raises his voice, as if preaching to his captive audience of frozen Parisians. "These two 'heroes' have been decieving us long enough! They hide their identities, they lie to us everyday and yet we continue to trust in them! We I say _no longer_." A cruel smile curls across his face. "I say it's time we found out who you really are, Ladybug and Cat Noir."

The heroes tense, thunder rippling through the sky.

"Right _NOW_!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 _ **A/N: Hey guys! I just wanted to say thanks so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!**_

 **Ern Ernstine 13624:** _Thanks, here's the update :)_

 **I Was NotA Robot:** _Thank you :) I'm glad you think so! And yeah, I usually try to take a darker turn in fanfictions, especially for light hearted shows like ML to mix things up a little._

 **LadyNoirLover16:** _NO LONGER MUST YOU WAIT! XD_

 **SmartyPants8:** _Thank youu :D_

 **Guest:** _Thank you! I'm glad you found it intense XD_

 **godrocks4evaz:** Oh my kumquat! Thank you! XD

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

The ground explodes beneath Ladybug's feet as she leaps out of the way of Candor's attack. She jumps again, once, twice, three times as the akuma fires flashes of red light from both extended palms. Moving cars, trees rustling in the wind of the oncoming storm, birds, they all freeze instantly in the backlash of red fire.

Finally, she skids to a stop in front of a shop window, unable to retreat any further. She whips out her yoyo, twirling fast in a blur of red, the two powers collide and Candor's light dissipates upon contact. Ladybug smiles in relief. Both at the knowing her yoyo is a suitable shield against his magic... _and_ at the sight of Cat Noir sailing down behind the akuma, his staff held above his head, ready to strike.

But Candor senses him. The villain twists around in the air and fire a single shot of light from his palm. Cat Noir strikes it out of the air with his staff like a baseball and then his baton extends, striking the ground, and he uses it as leverage to kick Candor's hands away. Then, turning, he kicks him again. This time, knocking him back onto the ground right at Ladybug's feet.

The akuma is stunned for a moment, and Ladybug snatches the cuff link off his arm and drops it on the ground. "That's enough evil-doing for you, little akuma." But before she can crush the glass conduit under her foot, Candor fires at her.

He misses by a fraction of an inch but the flash of light bursting so close overhead makes her flinch, giving the villain enough time to grab his akuma and rocket high into the air and out of reach.

"Ladybug, are you alright?" Cat Noir asks, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.

"Yes, I'm fine," she assures him. "But we need to get that cuff link back." Both heroes turn back to face their opponent, who is hovering high above their heads. His neck is bent, eyes focused on his sleeve as he reattaches his akuma. As soon as he's done, he looks down on them with a furious glint in his eyes.

"Perhaps I underestimated you. I believe I require the life energy of more liars before I can defeat you."

"Well at least he's honest..." Cat Noir grumbles.

Then, before either of them can react, Candor turns in mid air and shoots off over the rooftops, disappearing from sight. "Ah! He's headed toward the school!" Ladybug gasps.

"So? School's dismissed for the day."

Ladybug almost rolls her eyes. "Class is dismissed but not after school activities. A lot of students and teachers are still going to be there! Come on, let's get going!"

* * *

The duo arrives at the school a few minutes later. They land atop the gymnasium and find themselves looking into the courtyard, where a handful of students and staff are frozen in place and glowing red with black lettering creeping across their bodies...

"Seems like our akuma victim beat us here," Cat Noir whispers.

"Sure does...those poor people. Their darkest secrets put on display for anyone to see..." Ladybug chews her lip in thought for a moment as Cat Noir rises to his feet, ready to go. "Hang on a second, Cat..."

He looks down at her with an eyebrow raised under his mask.

Ladybug stands as well but wrings her hands a little nervously. "You know that if we get hit...it'll probably be our identities that get revealed..."

He grimaces, but nods his head.

"So...let's both agree that if either of us get hit, the other won't look. Okay? It's...it's important that our identities stay a secret."

For some reason, that last bit sends a pang of dissapointment through Cat Noir. He gazes at his partner for a moment, taking in her shining, blue eyes. And how suddenly familiar they are... If she _is_ Marinette, and she suspects she knows who is, like he thinks she does, then why would she...?

Adrien sighs internally but plasters on a fake smile. _Always the moral compass._ "Of course, M'Lady. I promise."

Ladybug nods gratefully and turns back toward the courtyard. "Me too. Now come on, he's got to be inside." Then she jumps down to the yard below and hurries off toward the doors. Cat Noir follows closely behind her, a little frown on his lips.

With a running start, they bust in the door together, weapons in hand.

But the gym is empty, except for a few students frozen in place. The heroes make a point not to look at any of them as they pass by, heading for the hallway.

"It's too quiet in here..." Cat Noir whispers as they nudge open the door and peek around the corner into the hall. "Do you think he's already frozen everyone and left?"

"It's possible...but I don't think so. He _wanted_ to fight us so it's more likely that he's stored up on power and is waiting to ambush us somewhere."

"Hm, you're probably right...but where? This school is pretty big." They pick a seemingly random direction and start walking, however, both heroes are filled with silent dread when they realize they're getting closer and closer to their homeroom class.

With the partner projects due in few days, more than likely a few of their classmates will be in there working. Or, _more_ likely, frozen by Candor.

Neither of them voice their fears out loud but both of them head straight for the classroom, a chill going down their spines at the sight of the door hanging open...and Mylene petrified just inside the threshold, her arms covering her head, one foot still in the air as if she was running.

 _Oh Mylene..._ Ladybug looks away, determined not to spoil her classmate's secrets. With heavy hearts, the partners sidestep past Mylene and enter the room.

To their relief, most of the seats are empty. It would seem that Chloe, Sabrina, Rose, Juleka, Nathaneal, and Ivan are still safe. At least for the moment. But both Cat Noir and Ladybug are disappointed to find the two people they feared most getting caught by the akuma.

Alya and Nino look like they were midway through standing from their seats when Candor hit them. Papers hang in mid air from where they were pushed off the edge of the desk and Alya's phone hovers just inches above the floor. Their friends look away before they can see their secrets.

"This is out of control," Ladybug growls, fighting to keep her anger in check. "We have to find him. Now."

Cat Noir nods in agreement, shivering at the thought of Nino standing there, motionless. "If he's trying to gather energy, he's probably where the largest number of people would be..." And then, both of them think of it at the same time.

"The auditorium!"

* * *

The hallway outside the main office and the auditorium is thick with paralyzed students and the walls flicker red with light eminating from the victims. Among them are some familiar faces and Ladybug's anger sparks up all over again.

She knows it isn't _really_ Candor's fault. Somewhere in there is a person who's emotions have been taken advantage of. It's Hawkmoth's fault. She's never understood how a Miraculous holder like herself and Cat Noir could choose to use their powers for something so horrible as to control another person.

She looks forward to the day when they can finally take his Miraculous away and stop this madness once and for all.

"Ladybug, hold up," Cat Noir says just as they're about to bust in the auditorium doors. "I hear something." Surely enough, the black ears of his suit are twitching. It might be the odd lighting, but it also looks like his pupils have narrowed to a mere slit as well.

"What is it?" she asks. "Is he in there?"

Cat Noir nods. "I think so," he affirms.

"Alright then. Let's turn this ambush in our favor." Ladybug whirls her yoyo until it's humming with speed. Then, without preamble, kicks the door as hard as she can. The metal double doors fly open and smash into the interior walls.

And surely enough, there's Candor. His hand still outstretched toward his newest victims. Ivan and Max, frozen with looks of utter terror on their faces.

Candor raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Ah, Ladybug and Cat Noir. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever find me. Fortunately for all of us, I've just finished my work here." He smiles almost politely, his feet raising off the ground, the coat tails of his suit swaying as if in a breeze. The akuma's voice is slightly more acidic when he says, " _Shall we begin_?"

Ladybug takes the first shot. Her yoyo slices through the air faster than the eye can see, shattering one of the wall mounted lights as Candor moves away. But still she smiles arrogantly.

The shadow falls over the akuma quickly, Cat Noir's staff cracking a hole in the floorboards as Candor narrowly dodges out of the way. They exchange blows, Cat Noir managing to clock him hard in the jaw. But when the akuma staggers away, rubbing his cheek, he holds out a gloved hand, which begins to burn bright red.

"Cat-" Ladybug shouts in warning...but then something unexpected happens. Candor changes targets at the last second. The flash of petrifying light striking Ladybug directly in the chest.

And the last thing she sees as her vision fades is Cat Noir sprinting to her side, screaming her name.

* * *

 _ **A/N: sorry the chapter is so short, guys. I just got to a point where it felt done so I didn't want to force it to go any longer. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, I'm think there's going to be one more chapter!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 _ **A/N: Shout to the fanfic tech support guys for fixing some issues I was having with chapter two! XD You guys are A-okay in my book!**_

 _ **Btw, the anthem for this fic is definitely 'For The First Time' from that movie Spectacular.**_

 **Ern Enrstine 13624:** _Yay! I'm glad you're liking it!_

 **Just Another Kid:** _Yeahh I was worried you guys would get confused about his powers XD But it's simple: basically if you get hit by his power, you & anything you're touching gets frozen and your darkest secret (the secret try the hardest to conceal) is displayed on your body. Ladybug & Cat Noir are purposefully not looking at the victims out of mercy so they can still keep their secrets. Hope that helped! And I'm glad you're enjoying it!_

 **So this chapter got a lot more intense than originally planned...um...**

 **Enjoy?**

* * *

 _"So...let's both agree that if either of us get hit, the other won't look. Okay? It's...it's important that our identities stay a secret."_

 _"Of course, M'Lady. I promise."_

However, Cat Noir _does_ look. But not at the words slowly crawling across his partner's suit. His horrified gaze is locked directly on her eyes. Wide open with shock. Her mouth still open from her attempt to warn him. One hand outstretched toward him. Even her yoyo is frozen, arcing high over her head and leaving a red glow behind it.

Behind him, Candor chuckles darkly. "Now _this_ is an interesting development. If I'm not mistaken, Ladybug is the only one who can purify akuma, isn't that right?"

Cat Noir hears but chooses to ignore him. He knows it's selfish...but it's not the battle he cares about right now. He doesn't really _care_ about purifying the akuma.

Reluctantly, he drags his gaze away from His Lady's face and turns toward Candor, who is watching him with an amused grin on his face. But not for long. Cat Noir's hands have balled into fists and he's trembling with fury. Candor's smile melts off his face, replaced by a slightly perturbed look of nonchalance.

Adrien's eyes burn with rage induced tears and he almost doesn't recognize his own voice when he snarls, "You're gonna regret that. _Cataclysm!_ " Black magic bubbles in the palm of his hand, his arm tingling with power. But he can almost hear Plagg warning him not to do anything stupid. It's not Candor's fault, it's Hawkmoth's.

But Cat Noir ignores him too.

The battle is over with Ladybug out of commission. He can't possibly win. But what he _can_ do is stop Candor from freezing anyone else.

He sprints forward, jumps into the air and sails down toward Candor, his Cataclysm aimed right for the akuma.

But just as the devastating attack is about to hit...

 _What I am doing..._ Cat Noir flips his body around and plants his hand on the ground between Candor's feet. The floorboards turn a rustic shade of red and then give way. Candor yelps in surprise as he's suddenly falling through the floor.

Cat Noir lands on his feet in front of him, his ring beeping in warning as the first pad fades away. He glares down at Candor, trapped between the floorboards so tight he can't fly away. And then his attention moves to the glass cuff link on his wrist...and an ache goes through his chest. If Ladybug were here, they could end this now.

With a grimace, he leans down and cups his hand around the akuma, pulling it free. He could break it, he supposes. Doing so without being able to purify the akuma might set Candor's victims free...set _Ladybug_ free...but in the long run, it would create dozens more akuma victims just like Candor.

Should he risk it?

Cat Noir is staring intently down at the cuff link, chewing his lip. So he almost doesn't notice the subtle, red glow that starts to enimate on the ground below him. He looks down, past the akuma, and yells in surprise as a blast of red light nearly hits him. But he springs out of the way, the akuma clinking to the ground somewhere nearby.

Candor fires again, and again, aiming directly at him every time. And almost hitting with each attack.

Cat Noir's ring beeps again and another pad fades away just as he dodges another blast.

 _Crap, crap, crap!_

He plants his feet, spinning his staff in a protective barrier in front of him and looks down at his ring. Three more minutes. He has to get out of here before he loses his transformation.

But...

He swallows when he realizes he's landed almost directly beside Ladybug. It's a habit, he can't help it...but it sends a sharp pain through his chest. He can't leave her here, can he? And then there's the problem of Candor. Eventually, he's going to get away.

Dang it! Where'd that cuff link get to?! Maybe breaking it is the only option he's got. But before he can look for the akuma, Candor's attacks cease...

Cat Noir frowns and slows the twirl of his staff. What's he up to...?

"It seems we're _both_ at an impasse, Cat Noir. You can't defeat me and I can't freeze you. However, you have a bit of a...time limit, don't you?" As if on que, his ring counts down to two minutes. "Here's my offer, and I suggest you take it."

"I'm not going to negotiate with you," Cat Noir snaps.

"Not even if I offer to _free_ Ladybug?"

* * *

Hawmoth's fists tremble with rage. What does this fool think he's doing?! Offering to free Ladybug? When he could easily wait out Cat Noir's ring, get free, and take her Miraculous?!

 _"Relax, Hawkmoth,"_ Candor says in his mind. _"I'm handling it."_

Then, a realization dawns on the villainous Miraculous holder. "Ah, I see..." he smiles slightly. "But a lie of omission is still a lie, Candor," he tuts teasingly.

 _"Sometimes a little white lie is a good thing, Hawkmoth..."_

* * *

"What do you mean 'free Ladybug'?" Cat Noir asks, despite himself. He shouldn't even consider negotiating with an akuma. It won't end well. And yet...

"I can see that you care deeply for her," Candor begins. "Possibly even...love her?"

Cat fights the blush that creeps over his cheeks.

"Then here's my offer, and be sure to think it through before blindly refusing. This may be the only way to save her... After all, it's only a matter of time before someone comes looking here and finds out her true identity..." Candor shifts uncomfortably, settling one arm below the floorboards. Out of the line of Cat Noir's sight, he begins gathering magic in the palm of his hand. "I'll free Ladybug, along with half of the people I've caught, and have a proper final showdown with her another time...if you hand over your Miraculous to me now."

 _What?! No! Of course I'm not going to...to..._ Cat Noir swallows. His ring beeps again. One minute. And he glances sideways at Ladybug, looking past the words written on her suit and back to her eyes. Marinette's eyes _and_ Ladybug's.

What if...what if this _is_ the only way to free her...?

 _It's...it's important that our identities stay a secret._

Crap... Cat Noir looks down at his ring, as the last paw flashes threateningly. He's going to lose his transformation any second.

"It's the only way, Cat Noir," Candor repeats. "For her and for Paris. She's the only one who can purify akuma."

And that's what sends him over the edge. Cat Noir slides his staff onto his back and strides over to Candor, his decision weighing heavily in his stomach. He stops in front of the villain and gulps, twisting his ring around on his finger.

 _I'm sorry, Ladybug..._

And then he jumps sideways, ducking out the side door into the courtyard just as his body flashes green and his transformation ends. Adrien doesn't stop running. He grabs Plagg as he falls out of the ring and doesn't stop until he gets to the locker room. He slams the door behind him and locks it.

Then promptly sinks to the floor and buries his face in his arms.

* * *

"ARG! You let him get away, you fool!" Hawkmoth snaps furiously. "You should have frozen him while you had the chance!"

 _"Okay, okay, it's still going to plan though, Hawkmoth. Ladybug is still paralyzed and now Cat Noir is out of costume. I just have to get free and find him before he re-energizes. He won't be able to put up a fight."_

Hawkmoth sighs in irritation. "Very well, Candor. Do what you must. Just get me their Miraculouses!"

* * *

"Adrien...? Are you...are you okay?" Plagg asks softly. He's hovering in the air in front of his friend, munching on the cheese Adrien has learned to always carry in his backpack.

"What am I gonna do, Plagg? I can't do this without Ladybug..." He whispers, his face still buried in his knees.

The kwami swallows his mouthful of cheese and grimaces. "You're right," he says and Adrien looks up and glares at him for his lack of support. "Cat Noir _can't_ fight without Ladybug. I know this is the last thing you want to hear but...with her frozen...your only option might be to...find a new Ladybug..."

 _Wh-wha..._ "WHAT?! _No!_ No way! You think I'm just gonna-no _way, Plagg_! I can't just _replace her like that_!"

"I know it's hard but Cat Noir has had to do it in the past! None of them liked it, you think you're the first to fall in love with Ladybug? Well you're not. But your _job_ isn't to love her, Adrien! It's to protect the world against akumas!"

Adrien jumps to his feet, fuming. "I _cannot believe_ you're actually telling me to _betray_ her! To just _steal_ her Miraculous!"

"You _know_ Ladybug! She would understand!"

"I know she would but-"

" _And she would do it if it were you_!"

But that's where Plagg is wrong. Adrien knows it. "No, she wouldn't. If it were me, Ladybug would find a way to reverse Candor's spell. She would...she would figure something out." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. " _She_ wouldn't have left me in the first place..."

"You didn't have a choice, you were running out of time."

Adrien sighs and folds his arms. "Finish eating, we've gotta transform."

Plagg tosses the last bite into his mouth. "What're you thinking?" he asks, noticing the scheming expression on his friend's face. "Have you got a plan?"

"Not yet," Adrien admits. "But there's gotta be a way to reverse the spell. And I'm gonna find it."

* * *

 _(For optimum feels, insert Umbrella Scene music here XD - DavidRussel323 did an excellent orchestral cover of it if you'd like)_

As Cat Noir cracks open the locker room door and peeks out into the courtyard, he manages to catch a glimpse of Candor gliding past one of the windows of the upper floor. So he's finally gotten out...and is likely searching for him.

The side door to the auditorium hangs open so Cat doesn't waste any time in darting as silently as he can across the grass, keeping low. The sun is going down, as well, so his black suit helps him blend in a little.

He slips inside the door and closes it behind himself.

Ladybug stands exactly where he left her. Cat Noir can't take his eyes off her as he approaches...which is how he bumps into something and nearly trips, ramming his hip into an auditorium chair.

"Ow..." he mutters, rubbing his side. Turning around, he realizes it was Ivan he bumped into. And without trying, his eyes find the words scrawling across his skin.

 _I'm in love with Mylene._

Cat Noir rolls his eyes. "Some secret," he grumbles sourly. "Everyone knows that." He's just turning back to Ladybug, mind racing to figure out a way to fix her, when a flash of red lights up the room. Adrien whips around, expecting Candor to be hovering in the doorway...but...he's not.

"Wha...what happened?" Ivan stammers out, looking around nervously. "Cat Noir?"

Adrien stares in disbelief. How did...? _Wait..._

A huge smile breaks over his face at the realization. "Ahaha!" Cat Noir laughs and throws his arms around Ivan. "You're a life saver, man! Come on," he grabs his classmates wrist and drags him toward the courtyard. "There's an akuma around, so be careful. I'll keep watch until you're clear."

"Umm...okay..." Ivan jogs out the door and disappears into the street a few seconds later. Meanwhile, Cat Noir is buzzing with excitement. He knows how to help His Lady now!

After all, a secret isn't really a secret if someone already knows it.

Closing the door again, Cat Noir shuts his eyes and turns back toward Ladybug. He promised her he wouldn't look at her identity and he intends to keep that promise if he can but...

He thinks he already knows it.

Reaching blindly out, he finds her outstretched hand and uses it to guide himself closer. He swallows when he gets close enough to whisper in her ear and prays that he's right. That the way to fix her is to tell her the truth.

"Ladybug," he says, gripping her hand tightly as his cheeks get hot. "You don't have to carry your identity as a secret from me anymore." A little smile touches his lips at the thought. "I know you're Marinette." He sees the flash of light even behind his eyelids and suddenly there's a weight in his arms.

"Huh? Cat Noir?"

He opens his eyes and smiles brightly at Ladybug. At Marinette. "Glad you're back, Bug-a-boo," he says, grinning awkwardly when his voice cracks at the lump in his throat.

Ladybug raises an eyebrow and looks around the room. At the broken floor boards, the lack of an akuma, and Ivan suddenly gone. "What happened?" she asks him.

"I'll explain later, Princess, right now we've gotta find Candor before he causes anymore trouble." Then, he turns and races out the door, his hand still clasping hers.

As Ladybug is dragged out into the courtyard, she finds herself staring at the back of his head with wide eyes. _Princess?_

* * *

 _ **A/N: If that explanation of his "cure" was as vague as I think it was, I apologize. I'm very bad at explaining things. Basically, he's able to cure Ivan and Ladybug by proving that their secrets/lies weren't actually LIES because he already knew them. Thus causing the spell to break because the truth has been revealed.**_

 _ **Chapter four will be posted first thing tomorrow morning! (That's if I don't forget before shuffling off to work...)**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 **A/N: (It might have made me tear up while writing this...don't judge me, this show wounds my soul)**

 **Ern Enstine 13624:** _Yes he does ;)_

 ** _Guest:_** _Afdgjsklfjdgdflgsdfskfs thank you! XD_

 **Just Another Kid:** _Oh don't feel stupid! I'm just bad at explaining things sometimes. And thank you! I'm glad you like it!_

 **Theellisaurus:** _It's really cool that you think my idea is unique to the fandom, thanks!_

 **ArianaT:** _Thank you! :)_

 **DJKatt:** _Thank youu! I'm really glad you liked it (I was kind of worried it was too vague) lol_

 ** _A.E.:_** _Gaasp! Thank you so much! I'm really glad you're liking it! (And yes, that pun was purrrfect)_

 ** _miaturtle:_** _I'm not entirely sure I understand your question, but I'm assuming you mean what time will I be updating. I tried to PM you but you have it disabled so...I don't see how I'm supposed to tell you what time except for right now...which doesn't really help you XD I'm sorry!_

 **Tortuebliss:** _Sorry XD but hey, here's the update!_

* * *

Night has descended over Paris as Ladybug follows Cat Noir through the silent halls of the school. The electricity has gone out, likely because of the flashes of lightning outside. So between that and the thick storm clouds in the sky, it's pitch black inside. Ladybug has resigned herself to following her partner's lead, one hand on his back as he leads them toward the principal's office. Thank goodness he has night vision or they'd both be fumbling around blindly in the dark.

"Nearly there, M'Lady," he whispers.

"Keep on your guard," she reminds him just as quietly. They've checked almost everywhere for the akuma. The courtyard, the basement, the hallways, and most of the classrooms. The only place they haven't been yet is the principal's office.

That's _if_ Candor hasn't left the school yet.

Moments later, Cat Noir suddenly stops and Ladybug barrels into him. "Sorry, Princess," he says, helping her find her footing again. "We're here."

"Warn me next time..." she mutters, ignoring the fact that that's the second time he's called her Princess. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe he calls a lot of girls that, not just Marinette-um, her.

She shakes herself. _No time to think about it right now._ "Only problem is it's too dark to fight."

"Not for me," he teases. It's too dark to tell for sure but she's fairly certain he winked at her.

Ladybug scowls at him through the gloom. "Well I can't really catch an akuma if I can't see, now can I?"

"Hm, good point." Cat Noir taps his chin in thought for a moment. "Aha! What about your Lucky Charm? It might give you something to see with."

"It would also limit us to a five minute fight...think we can pull it off?"

Cat Noir pats her shoulder. "I'll cover you, even if you _do_ need to bug out."

At his touch, Ladybug's face goes warm...for some reason...and a flash of lightning outside illuminates their hallway for a split second. Long enough for her heart to give an unexpected thrum at the confident warmth in his eyes.

She swallows and nods her head. "Okay then. If you say so... _Lucky Charm!_ "

The hallway flashes with pink light as something red and polka dotted lands in Ladybug's hands. Back in the dark, she has to feel around to figure out what it is...until Cat Noir laughs.

"What? What is it?" She feels his claws brush against her hand as he takes it from her, and flinches when something made of plastic brushes her cheeks...and then suddenly she can see. Albeit in a harsh shade of green. "Night vision goggles?" Ladybug pulls the strap over her head, tucking it behind her ears and blinks a few times to get used to the strange mesh of color. "You see like this all the time?" she asks, turning to find her partner grinning at her.

"Only when it's dark," he shrugs. "Ready?"

She nods with a smirk. "Ready."

They turn toward the door and take a few steps back. Then, running forward, the heroes kick the door hard and it swings open, slamming into the wall inside with a loud crash. Ladybug's yoyo is buzzing as she twirls it and Cat Noir's staff extends in his hand.

And there's Candor, sitting casually in the principal's chair with a little ray of moonlight illuminating his smug face. Mr. Damocles stands frozen in the corner, his arms raised to cover his head. "Lovely night," the akuma remarks nonchalantly as a crack of thunder shakes the ground underfoot. "I must say, Ladybug, it's a surprise to see you here. I thought I'd gotten the best of you."

"Wha...?" She turns to Cat Noir, who shakes his head without looking away from the villain. So it's true then. She _was_ hit by one of Candor's attacks. So...how did she get free?

"Anyhow, I suppose it's time for our showdown, eh?" Slowly, he stands from his seat. One hand fiddles with the cuff link on his wrist, tightening it. Then he straightens his black coat and lifts off the ground. "Let's get started. I will be taking your Miraculouses."

"Not if we can help it!" Ladybug throws her yoyo and it bounces off the back wall as Candor glides sideways. There's a flash of red as he fires at her, but Cat Noir jumps in front, twirling his staff like a force field. And then he vaults forward, driving both his feet into the akuma's chest. They fly backwards and Cat Noir lands on top of him, pinning down one of his arms. The other manages to clock him hard in the jaw and he loses his balance and gets thrown off.

Ladybug swings in close, her yoyo string tying Candor's wrist to Mr. Damocles's desk. He curses and struggles to pull free, firing rapidly at the duo. They dodge and Cat Noir blocks the attacks as they rain down on them.

A few seconds later, as Ladybug's earring gives a beep of warning, and a second spot fades away, Candor stops attacking, struggling to catch his breath. He glares defiantly at them as Cat Noir lunges forward and grabs his other arm.

Ladybug carefully approaches. She kneels on one knee and pulls the cuff link off his tied arm and then both heroes jump back before he can freeze them again. Ladybug throws it on the ground and stomps her foot on it. It breaks with a satisfying _crunch_ and the black butterfly squirms free.

"That's enough evil doing for you, little akuma." Running her finger over the surface of her yoyo, the glowing white ball drops almost to the floor before she wheels it back and throws it at the akuma. The butterfly is swallowed by purifying light and when it's set free, every trace of corruption is gone from its wings. "Bye bye, little butterfly."

 _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

* * *

 _Okay seriously, I highly advise listening to the umbrella scene music with this!_

The black skies overhead have finally broken with the coming of dawn. The akuma has been defeated and sweet smelling rain pours over Paris as the two heroes leave the school, Cat Noir first and Ladybug directly behind him. She pauses at the top of the concrete steps and looks up, shielding her face from the downpour. Squinting, she realizes with a resigned sigh that she'll be soaked by the time she gets home. Too bad her suit doesn't come with an umbrella.

Ladybug is about to continue down the steps when she sees that her partner hasn't moved either. He, too, is staring up into the low clouds. From behind him, she can't see the wistful smile on his face but she see it in his posture. His hands are on his hips, his weight on one leg, head tipped thoughtfully to the side.

It's such a familiar stance and she finds herself smirking. "What's the matter? Kitty don't like the rain?" she teases.

But Cat Noir chuckles and shakes his head without looking away from the sky. "Actually, I'll have you know that I _love_ the rain."

Ladybug raises an eyebrow, not that he sees it. "Really?" she asks, folding her arms over her chest as the first of the 'I'm cold and wet' chill begins to set in. "How? Everything is so...damp and cold when it rains."

He shrugs. "I don't mind it that much. I like it because...I met my first _real_ friend when it was raining."

Ladybug's breath stops in her chest. Is he...is he going to...?

 _It's now or never_ , Cat tells himself. But he still doesn't trust himself to look back. If he sees her face, he'll chicken out. He knows he will.

"How'd you meet...?" she asks him in voice so soft he almost doesn't hear.

He smiles at the sky again. "Well, see, I'd never gone to school before. My dad's the controlling sort, you know? But eventually, he gave in. And I met this girl." His smile widens when he remembers how it all went. "She really didn't like me at first."

Ladybug flinches at the memory.

"It was all a huge misunderstanding but she thought I was a jerk because of it."

"Sounds like she jumped to conclusions too quickly," Ladybug offers quietly.

He shrugs again, still too chicken to look at her. "Maybe she did. But in her defense, the evidence _did_ look incriminating. She really thought I was putting gum on her seat. Anyway," he shifts his weight as the rain starts to come down more heavily. It smells sweet and fresh and really completes the memory of standing on these very steps with Marinette almost a year ago. "I tried explaining what really happened but she didn't want to listen. For days, she refused to look at me. Until this one day..."

Ladybug swallows and swipes a raindrop off her cheek. She doesn't care that her hair is dripping anymore.

"It was raining. Really heavily, just like today. But my driver was waiting for me so I didn't really need the umbrella I'd brought with me. I came out of class right behind her, I think we were both running late. And I felt bad, you know? She doesn't live far from our school but it _was_ raining..."

"What did you do?"

Cat Noir swallows his fear and finally turns around. Ladybug is standing two steps above him, looking down at him with those beautiful, blue eyes. She looks just as stunned as she did that day. "I tried one more time to explain what happened with the gum. And this time she listened... And I guess she believed me because when I offered her my umbrella, she accepted it."

Ladybug's heart swells a little at the smile on his face.

"Then it closed on her head." His smile turns into a laugh and Ladybug can't help but giggle with him. "I tell you, Ladybug, this girl is the such a klutz. After that, she couldn't even talk to me without stuttering." He doesn't miss the redness that blossoms over her cheeks. "I don't really mind it though," he ammends quickly, his voice going soft again. "She's a sweet girl. Smart, brave-although you might not think it at first-and probably the most compassionate person I've ever met."

Ladybug's eyes widen slightly when he offers her his hand. Slowly, tentatively, she accepts it. Cat Noir pulls her down next to him and she doesn't pull away. For the first time, she sees Adrien in those eyes. And in the redness of his cheeks. But the way he holds her close, confidence bordering on arrogance...that's all Cat Noir.

"I couldn't stop thinking about her for the rest of the day. She was my first real friend _ever_. And I thought that was why I felt so drawn to her. But...there was something else too. I felt..." he trails off, unsure of how to phrase it.

"Connected..."

His smile makes her stomach flutter. "Exactly." Adrien hesitates before saying his next thought. But after a moment, it comes out on its own. "I think I love her."

Marientte's heart gives a sudden jump and, true to her real identity, she blurts out the very first thought that comes to mind. "Maybe you should tell her."

Adrien blinks, the blush on his cheeks deepening in color. "M-maybe I will." He takes both her hands in his and draws them to his chest. She can feel how hard his heart is thumping. Just like hers. He grins a crooked, ornery smile. Cat Noir's smile. And now...Adrien's smile as well. "Mind helping me practice, M'Lady?"

She gulps and nods her head. She doesn't trust herself to speak.

He leans in close, so close she can feel the warmth of his blush against her forehead. "I love you," he whispers. "Marinette."

He bends down and she reaches up. Their lips meet and Marientte feels her eyes watering. She can't explain why she's crying. Or the torrent of emotions in her chest. Some of them she can decipher - relief, excitement, fear... Others, though, just feel like a hot, trembling ball sitting inside her heart.

There's a crack of thunder as they seperate, and she's suddenly glad for the rain. Maybe he won't see the tears on her cheeks. But of course Cat Noir is too observant for that. With the gentlest smile she's ever seen on his face, he swipes them away with his thumb.

"What do you think?" he asks. "Do you think she feels the same way?"

Marinette nods jerkily. "She'd be a fool not to," she whispers around the lump in her throat.

He grins and tentatively releases her hands. "So...now do you see why I like the rain?"

She laughs. She can't help it. He just has that effect on her. And doing so, she feels better. The rain doesn't let up but it's like there's a spot of sunshine right over them. She doesn't even feel cold anymore. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Great," he says, winking at her. "Then I'll...see you tomorrow, M'Lady."

She nods her head, still grinning brightly. He presses one last kiss to the back of her hand and then trots down the steps, vaults over the rooftops, and disappears. Like he always does.

"See you tomorrow, Cat Noir," she says breathlessly.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay guys! One more chapter after this - a sort of epilogue/post reveal fluffy thing.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

~Epilogue~

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone for all the love on this story! You guys make the work worth it!**

 **This is just a short epilogue, post-reveal sort of thing because fluff feeds my soul.**

 **Q-A Authoress:** _Your reviews arrived while I was at work so that was a beautiful thing to make me smile while I was bored out of my mind XD So thank you!_

 **mintlover360:** _I told you it was fluffy! XD And thank youu!_

 **Ern Ernstine 13624:** _I'm pretty sure they're happy about it too lol_

 **Tortuebliss:** Yes she does lmao _here's the update! XD_

 **Just Another Kid:** _I'm so glad you liked it! And yeah, the fight scene was really short simply because I knew the chapter would have been insanely long If I'd let it go on. (Plus I wanted to get to the lovey dovey stuff XD)_

 **Guest (1):** _Yay! :)_

 **Guest (2):** _Thank you!_

 **I'm Just Awesome:** _Oh...my god! Thank you! Wow! I'm actually kind of torn about what I want to do as a career (I'm looking into college right now as a matter of fact) but writing has always been something I've thought about. Thank you so much!_

 **Guest (3):** _OMG! Thank you XD_

 **quiddichChick6:** _Yay! I mean...not yay that you cried but...yay! X'D_

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

For the first time in a very, very long time, Marinette manages to wake up to the buzz of her alarm clock. Although groggy, she rolls over in her bed and squints at the bright, sunny morning outside her window and smiles. She can hear the commute of morning traffic, along with the clink of the bakery door bell downstairs. Her father's voice greets their customers in a cheerful tone and even from the other side of the floorboards, she can hear her mother humming a tune in the kitchen.

"Mmmm...good morning, Tikki," she yawns and stretches her arms high above her head, sitting up in bed. Her kwami yawns as well and lazily floats into the air.

"Good morning..."

Marinette swipes sideways on the screen of her tablet and sighs in relief at the sight of the time - eight o'clock. Perfect. She's just standing out of bed when the events of yesterday come flooding back to her. And a huge smile breaks across her face.

Throwing herself across the room, she scrambles for her phone. She can't tell Alya the specifics but she can tell her... _something_. The screen lights up and she pauses. Displayed is a text...from Adrien. Recieved five minutes before she woke up.

 _Hey Marinette, can we meet in the courtyard at school? We need to talk._

That...sounds ominous.

* * *

Her blissfully sunny morning forgotten, Marinette races out the door of the bakery, clutching her backpack to her chest, Tikki hanging onto the inside of her cardigan for dear life. Down the street two blocks and she reaches the school.

The front of the building is already swarming with students. Among them are Alya and Nino, the former of which sees her with a look of utter shock and waves her hand excitedly.

"Hey girl, you're here early-"

"Sorry, Alya, I've gotta find Adrien!" Marinette runs past her, straight up the steps into the courtyard. In her hurry, she misses the look her best friend flashes Nino. One of intense curiosity...and the way Alya slinks after her, peeking around the corner to eavesdrop.

And there's Adrien. Sitting on a bench at the foot of the stairs, hunched over and generally looking incredibly distressed. Marinette slows to a walk and swallows. She isn't sure she likes how nervous he looks. What if...what if he regrets what happened yesterday? _Oh god_...what if...what if she misunderstood what he said?! She isn't sure how that kiss could have meant anything else but...but...

Oh god she feels sick.

Maybe she should hide! Avoid him until he forgets she exists! Of course then there's the whole Ladybug thing but-

Marinette runs out of time for her internal rant as Adrien looks up and spots her. A blushing, nervous smile touches his lips and he stands up and waves. Marinette accidentally drops her backpack because for some reason she decided to wave with that hand. Then, she fumbles to pick it back up and drops it two more times.

"Relax, Marinette," Tikki whispers. "He's probably just as nervous as you are."

"Has this ever happened before, Tikki?" She asks, finally getting a grip on her trembling hands long enough to pick up her bag and slowly drag herself toward Adrien. "Have Ladybug and Cat Noir ever discovered each other's identities?"

"It's uncommon," her kwami admits. "But it _has_ happened."

"And...how did it work out?"

But before Tikki can answer, Adrien jogs over to meet her halfway. His face is even redder up close and for the first time _ever_ the model's hair looks dishevled and he looks exhausted, like he didn't sleep at all last night.

"Hi..." he breathes. And the way his eyes immediately find hers makes her want to shrink back a little. It's like he's scrutinizing her, trying to convince himself of something.

"Hi..." she replies, white knuckling the strap of her backpack. "Umm...I got your text."

"Uh-yeah. Um, sorry I texted you so early this morning, I...probably woke you up, huh? Sorry... I just...we-we need to talk."

Marinette nods. "About what...?" _Oh god pleaaaase don't say you regret it!_

"I, um...about what happened yesterday..."

 _Noooooooooooo!_

"I...you...you don't...regret it, do you?"

 _...wait what?_ "Wait, what?"

The blush on Adrien's cheeks instantly goes deeper. "Um...I just mean... _uhh_..."

Oh...oh my god...he doesn't regret it. He's worried that _she_ does! Oh thank goodness.

And for once in her life, Marinette thinks she has just the right words. Reaching out, she scoops up one of his hands, the one with his ring, and shakes her head. "Adrien," she says quietly so no one will hear. "I've had the biggest, most nerve wracking crush on you for... _forever_. Finding out about _this_ ," she says, running her thumb over his ring. "Is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me...because it just means there's no reason for me to be so scared. We make a _great team_ and you're my friend on top of being _you._ So no. I don't regret any of it."

He smiles. A little, cooked Cat Noir smile that makes her heart flutter. "Hey," he whispers, brushing a part of her bangs away from her face. "You're not stuttering."

Marinette grins and shrugs with one shoulder. "I guess finding out you're my goofy partner is all I needed to finally get comfortable around you."

Adrien laughs and leans down toward her. Marinette cranes up and their lips meet again. And it's like fireworks in her stomach and behind her eyelids.

No wait...there are _literally_ flashes of light.

They pull apart and spin around to find Alya grinning widely, snapping photos of them with her phone. "Ah! Alya!" Marinette shrieks. "Wha-what are you-how long have you been there?!"

"Long enough, baby!" her friend laughs, "I have no idea what you guys were saying but you're _both_ gonna be filling me in ASAP! This is the biggest story of the season!"

Adrien looks down helplessly at Marinette, who stares back at him with shock plainly on her face.

And then the bell for class rings and the crowd of students outside begin trickling inside the school. Alya grabs one of Marinette's hands and one of Adrien's and drags them up the steps.

"So? How did it happen? Who made the first move? You've _gotta_ fill me in!"

Adrien snickers and shakes his head, giving Marinette a schemeing wink. "Don't you have a bug-themed superhero to be looking out for?"

Akya shakes her head excitedly. "Not when my BFF just scored the boy of her dreams, I don't!"

Marinette smirks at his plan. Stall for time. "I _had_ to pick a natural-born reporter as my best friend, didn't I?"

"How could you resist?" Alya laughs. "When she's so fabulous."

Both of them laugh and discreetly bump their fists together when the three of them reach the classroom and Alya realizes she's run out of time for her interogation. She turns to them with a sour expression, knowing she's been duped.

"Ah-ha, very slick, guys. But _I will_ get my answers."

"You will," Marinette assures her, steering inside the classroom. "After school."

" _We'll get our story straight on the way home for lunch,_ " Adrien whispers and she nods.

" _Good plan, partner_."

" _I aim to please, M'Lady._ " Adrien winks and sits down beside Nino and Marinette finds her spot behind him. For the rest of class, she alternates between replaying their two kisses over and over in her head and staring dreamily at him. So of course she gets called out by the teacher, Chloe teases her for being an airhead, and Adrien scolds the blonde for being mean.

Seems like some thing are never going to change...

But as soon as the lecture has resumed, Adrien turns in his chair and slides her a note on a folded piece of graph paper. She accepts it discreetly and opens it on her lap under her desk.

 _We never got around to finishing our project. Your place this evening? I promise to behave ;)_

Marinette giggles softly and scribbles out a response. But just as she's about to pass it back, there's a scream from the street and something explodes, rocking the floor underfoot. Both of them jump to their feet and shout,

"I need to use the bathroom!" before sprinting into the hallway. The door slams shut behind them and they throw themselves into a janitor's closet. In the cramped quarters, they both barely fit. And yet Adrien grins and leans casually on the door.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Marinette rolls her eyes. "Save the smooth talk, we've gotta transform."

" _Right_..."

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!" The janitor closet door swings open and Cat Noir bows as Ladybug runs out. "Ladies first!"

"Let's go, Romeo!" And then they swing into action, their teamwork as flawless as ever. Seems like knowing each other's identities hasn't changed much. Marinette still feels giddy when she thinks about Adrien, he still flirts endlessly with her on the battlefield, and they're still extra careful to keep their identities a secret around other people, referring to each other strictly by their hero personas.

But when the fight ends, the paparazzi is gone, and they're alone...they sneak away together and release their transformations, walking to Marinette's house hand in hand to finish their project.

 **End**

* * *

 _ **A/N: Kind of a weird ending...but I suck at endings so...sorry XD Anyway, I hope you liked it!**_


End file.
